Optical coherence analysis relies on the use of the interference phenomena between a reference wave and an experimental wave or between two parts of an experimental wave to measure distances and thicknesses, and calculate indices of refraction of a sample. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is one example technology that is used to perform high-resolution cross sectional imaging. It is often applied to imaging biological tissue structures, for example, on microscopic scales real time. Optical waves are reflected from an object or sample and a computer produces images of cross sections of the sample by using information on how the waves are changed upon reflection.
Fourier domain OCT (FD-OCT) currently offers the best performance for many applications. Moreover, of the Fourier domain approaches, swept-source OCT has distinct advantages over techniques such as spectrum-encoded OCT because it has the capability of balanced and polarization diversity detection. It has advantages as well for imaging in wavelength regions where inexpensive and fast detector arrays, which are typically required for spectrum-encoded FD-OCT, are not available.
In swept source OCT, the spectral components are not encoded by spatial separation, but they are encoded in time. The spectrum is either filtered or generated in successive frequency steps and reconstructed before Fourier-transformation. Using the frequency scanning swept source, the optical configuration becomes less complex but the critical performance characteristics now reside in the source and especially its frequency tuning speed and accuracy.
High speed frequency tuning for OCT swept sources is especially relevant to in vivo imaging where fast imaging reduces motion-induced artifacts and reduces the length of the patient procedure. It can also be used to improve resolution.
The swept sources for OCT systems have typically been tunable lasers. The advantages of tunable lasers include high spectral brightness and relatively simple optical designs. A tunable laser is constructed from a gain medium, such as a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), which is located within a resonant cavity, and a tunable element such as a rotating grating, grating with a rotating mirror, or a Fabry-Perot tunable filter. Currently, some of the highest tuning speed lasers are based on the designs described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,415,049 B1, entitled Laser with Tilted Multi Spatial Mode Resonator Tuning Element, by D. Flanders, M. Kuznetsov and W. Atia. The use of micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) Fabry-Perot tunable filters combines the capability for wide spectral scan bands with the low mass, high mechanical resonant frequency deflectable MEMS membranes that have the capacity for high speed tuning.
Another class of swept sources that have the potential to avoid some of the inherent drawbacks of tunable lasers, such as sweep speed limitations, is filtered amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) sources that combine a spectrally broadband light source, typically a source that generates light by ASE such as a superluminescent light emitting diode (SLED), with tunable optical filters and optical amplifiers. Some of the highest speed, and most integrated devices based on filtered. ASE sources are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,061,618 B2, entitled Integrated Spectroscopy System, by W. Atia, D Flanders P. Kotidis, and M. Kuznetsov. A number of variants of the filtered ASE swept source are described, including amplified versions and versions with tracking filters. More recently, U.S. Pat. Apl. Publ. No. 2011/0051143 A1, filed on May 8, 2010, entitled ASE Swept Source with Self-Tracking Filter for OCT Medical Imaging, by D. Handers, W. Atia, and M. Kuznetsov, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference, lays out various integrated, high speed filtered ASE swept source configurations, including self-tracking filters.